Angry Tiger, Young Horse
by Shinigami-chan
Summary: i finally got an un corrupted copy of at and another chapter!
1. prologue

Ranma ½: Angry Tiger, Young Horse

Ranma ½: Angry Tiger, Young Horse

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Prolog

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Ranma Saotome sighed as he ran through downtown Nerima. It was almost a daily occurrence now. Ukyo and Shampoo would show up and offer him food or try to glomp him and Akane would get mad and pull out her mallet and start trying to kill him with it. He would run because of his rule never to hit a girl and she would chase him with Ukyo and Shampoo right behind her. Kodachi would join the chase and then Kuno demanding that he, "Free the pigtailed goddess and the fierce tigress Akane from his evil clutches." Then Moose would join and try to win his "Darling Shampoo" by destroying Ranma and if Ryoga was around, he would join shouting that what ever was wrong in his life presently was all his fault or he would try to get him for hurting Akane. 

Presently he could hear behind him, "Ranma no baka!"

"Ran-chan, come eat the lunch I made for you!"

"Airen bring Shampoo on date now, yes?"

"Come back Ranma-sama and I will take you away from these peasants!"

"Ranma! Prepare to die!"

"How dare you take my Shampoo!"

"Release my pigtailed goddess and Akane Tendo, foul Sorcerer!" 

"Why can't you people leave me alone?!" he shouted back at the group as he looked backwards over his shoulder. While he wasn't looking where he was going, he ran full tilt into some one else who was also looking backwards over his shoulder at a mob of women who were chasing him to try and get their bras and underwear back.

As they both sprawled on the ground, something fell out of Happosai's clothes, and thinking that he could use it against the old pervert sometime, scooped it up. Before he could look at it though, he caught sight of the mobs closing in on him and Happosai. Hanging his head, he said in a tired voice, "I wish I wasn't always alone." As he started to get to his feet, a bright light flared from his hand where he was clutching the mysterious object. Looking at it, he saw that it was a bracelet that was glowing and suddenly, he was engulfed in the light.

Turning towards were the two mobs, plus Happosai were staring at him, he caught the shocked expressions on Shampoo, Happosai, and Cologne's, who had just arrived, faces as they realized what was happening. Then, he was gone in a final flash of light.

(I know that the ring of destiny is only supposed to go between dimensions, keeping the subject the same age, or something like that. But I'm bending the rules a bit. To fulfill his wish, he had to go back in time so, sorry to all the people who want everything to be exactly like it is in the anime. Now, on with the story!)

Ranma opened his eyes to find himself in the arms of a giant. "What?!" he screamed. The giant's face turned to look at him, and he realized that it was his mother!

"Ranma-chan? What's wrong?" she cooed to him as she started to rock him slightly.

"What's going on, mom?" he asked, then gasped in surprise at the sound of his voice. It was a child's voice!!!

"Oh, you silly little boy, you're here with your father to pick me and your baby brother up. It's time to go home." Nodoka said with a smile as she gestured to the side where Genma was standing, holding a baby seat.

"I have a baby brother?!" Ranma exclaimed as he pushed himself away from his mother so that he could sit in front of her on the bed.

"Yes. His name is Genki. Are you all right, Ranma? You know all of this already." She asked, concern radiating from her.

"Yes, I'm fine. But I just don't understand what's going on." He said seriously.

"Um, you seem to be talking a lot better than yesterday." She said in shock. Yesterday, he could barely speak good enough so that they could understand him, and now, he was talking clear enough for them to understand him without having to almost translate what he said.

Figuring it would be better to just go along with things until he could figure out what was going on, instead of freaking out, which is what he wanted to do, he said, "I've been practicing for Genki."

"Um, ok. You're speaking very well for a two year old. I'm very proud of you." Nodoka said slowly as she hugged him gently.

"Lets go home. I want to start Ranma today in the school of Anything Goes Martial Arts." Genma said impatiently as he shifted from foot to foot.

"I still think that he's to young to learn." Nodoka protested as she got up and carried Ranma towards Genma and the door.

"I want to learn." Ranma said, causing both parents to stare at him in surprise.

"See, he wants to learn." Genma said happily, already picturing the training trips he was going to take him on.

Knowing that look, Nodoka said firmly, "You won't be taking him on any training trips right now."

"But honey! He has to go on training journeys. I went on them, Soun went on them, and every other great has too! How can you expect him to be the best he can be, a man above men, if he doesn't train in the real world?" Genma said wheedling.

After a long moment of silence, Nodoka finally said, "Fine, you can take him on a short one when Genki is old enough to go along."

"But, that will be years!" Genma protested.

"Yes. That way, Ranma and Genki will be old enough to take care of themselves some." Nodoka said and wouldn't listen to any more of Genma's attempts to change her mind.

Things pasted in peace during the next four years as Ranma and Genki grew up and trained. Ranma was viewed as a prodigy because he seemed to take to martial arts like a fish to water. He never told his parents that he was from a different dimension and he was very careful to put the bracelet, which he had found in his pocket later the same day he arrived, in a box deep in a secret place under his dresser.

On the day after Genki's fourth birthday, Genma approached his wife again about taking them on a training trip. "Honey? I think it's time for me to take the boys on a training journey now." He said quietly as he approached his wife as she was washing the breakfast dishes.

"What? You can't take them now. Genki is only four!" she protested as she turned to face her husband.

"Yes, but he is a good fighter and his brother is the strongest of any one under the age of fifteen and he's only six. I would have taken him when he was five, but Genki had only started training the year before and wasn't ready. But now they're both ready and Ranma looks out for his brother like a she wolf looking out for her cubs. He can take are of his brother and I'll take care of both of them." Genma said as he hugged his wife reassuringly.

"Ok. I guess, I can have the boys and myself packed in a few hours." She said as she turned back to the sink.

"No. you can't come with us. If you did, you would coddle the boys and then they would never grown up as man above men!" Genma protested. He knew that she would never approve of most of the train methods, but it was part of the training and they needed to be trained, just like he and Soun had been under their dreaded master.

"But…they need their mother!"

"It's for the best if you don't come." Genma said and walked out of the room before Nodoka could say anything else.

Ranma crept from his hiding place just outside of the kitchen door and hurried up to his room. He had known that his father was going to take them soon, but he had been hoping that his mother could convince him that she needed to go with them. Now, it was all up to him to protect Genki from the training they would endure under Genma's tutelage. 

"Genki! Ranma! Come here. I need to talk to you!" Ranma heard his father yell and reluctantly headed back down stairs, his brother running ahead of him.

As soon as they were both seated on the living room couch, Genma said, "Tomorrow, we will be leaving in the morning on a training journey and your mother isn't coming with us, ok?"

"How long will we be gone?" Ranma asked quietly, already knowing Genma wouldn't admit how long it would really be.

"Not to long. " Genma said with a nervous laugh. Then continued quickly before either of them could ask any more questions. "Well, go and play and later your mom and I will help you pack. Ok?" getting up quickly Genma left the room.

"Come on, Ranma! Lets go play with that new game mommy gave us!" Genki said as he grabbed his older brother's hand and pulled him up the stairs. Nodoka had bought them a super Nintendo not to long before on Ranma's sixth birthday and while Genki wasn't too good at it yet, he loved to play Super Mario Brothers with Ranma. Basically, he just pressed the buttons and would occasionally pass a level, with Ranma helping him. 

They left the next morning and Ranma knew that it would be a long time before they would see their mom again and he knew that when they were finally came back, it would be to go right to the Tendo dojo and the arranged marriage with the Tendos. But before they left, they had put their handprints and signatures on a piece of paper saying that they would be men above man or they would commit seppuku. But Genki didn't know that. He had only thought that it was a game.

As their home disappeared behind them, Ranma sighed again. 'I have a really bad feeling about this.' He thought as he hurried to catch up with his small family


	2. Chapter 1

Ranma ½: Angry Tiger, Young Horse

Everything in Chinese will be like this …

Ranma ½: Angry Tiger, Young Horse

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Chapter 1

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Ranma sighed. It had been eleven years and now they were on their way to Nerima. He hadn't been able to stop all of the fiancées as for most of them he had been to young to convince the people not to agree to the deal, but as he had gotten older, he had put a stop to them.

"Come on old man. I want to see mom!" he called as he turned to watch the giant panda try to catch the young boy with the umbrella over his head. Ranma, himself, had an umbrella and raincoat on to avoid getting wet.

The panda held up a sign that said, 'We have somewhere to go first.' flip 'a promise to fulfill with an old friend.'

"Whatever pop. Lets just get going. Genki. Stop playing around. We need to get out of this rain." Ranma said as he turned back to the road in front of him. They were already in the shopping district of Nerima and Ranma knew the way to the Tendo Dojo by heart, even after fifteen years.

As they neared the dojo, Ranma broke into a run, surprising his brother and his dad. He dashed around a corner and jumped over the wall surrounding the Tendo household. He landed a few feet from the front door and he looked around longingly. He had missed this place. The way Kasumi cared for everything and everyone in the house, the way Akane sometimes smiled at him right after he ha rescued her of had done something nice. Even the way Nabiki controlled everything and made sure there was still a house over their heads, even after he and Genma had almost eaten them out of house and home and sometimes destroyed it in their frequent fights. He even missed the way Soun cried over everything. 

Taking a deep breath, he walked up to the door and knocked, waiting nervously as Kasumi came to open the door. As she opened it, he tilted his umbrella so that the water wasn't running off it into the house.

"Hello, can I help you?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes. Is Mr. Tendo home?" he asked nervously and she smiled at him reassuringly as she saw it.

"Why yes, he is reading the mail right now. Please, come in Mr…" she trailed off as she didn't know his name.

"Sorry. My name is Ranma Saotome."

"Well then, Mr. Saotome, please come in."

"Please, just call me Ranma. I feel old when some one calls me that." He said with a blush as he followed her in and took off his raincoat and closed the umbrella.

"Ok, Ranma. This way please." Kasumi said with a small laugh. "Father, you have a guest." She called as she entered the living room where her father was opening mail at the table.

"Who it is, Kasumi?" he asked as he continued to look at the mail.

"A young man named Ranma Saotome, father." She said as she headed into the kitchen to begin dinner.

"Saotome? As in Genma Saotome?" Soun asked, his attention finally torn from the pile of mail, which dropped from his nerveless fingers.

"Yes. He's my dad."

"Wahhhh! At last our two families will be united!" Soun wailed as twin waterfalls of tears flew from his eyes. Jumping up, he glomped onto Ranma, and narrowly missed splashing him with his tears.

"That's what I've come here to talk to you about." Ranma said as he firmly disengaged himself and took a step back. At his serious tone, Soun stopped crying and sat down, motioning Ranma to sit as well.

"What is it that you need to talk to me about it?"

"Well, I don't think it's right for you two to just force two strangers to get married almost right after they met, so I want you to give us some time. I'm willing to go out on one date each with them and get to know them. If nothing develops between us, I don't want you to try and force us together. Alright?" Ranma said and found that Soun was nodding along.

"Yes, I see your point. I do want my daughters happy so I will agree with your idea. You will be staying with us, right?"

"Maybe for a little while I convince pop to go home to mom."

"Why would you have to convince him to go home? Nodoka is a lovely woman." Soun said, confused.

"I know. But before we left, I remember signing a paper that said if my brother and me weren't men above men, then all three of us would commit seppuku." Ranma sighed as he remembered it.

"What?!"

"You see, I believe she did it to keep him in line, but would never actually do it." Ranma explained and Soun nodded in agreement.

"But, why would that matter? You certainly seem to be a man above men."

"The three of us are under a curse, but I won't get into that until pop and Genki arrive." Ranma said and Soun nodded reluctantly.

"And when will they get here?"

"Any time now. I came on ahead to talk to you without pop here to interfere."

They were silent for a few minutes until they both heard someone knocking on the door. "That would be them." Ranma said then added quickly as Soun jumped up to answer the door, "If it's a giant panda and a boy or a horse, don't worry."

Soun looked at questionably before shrugging and hurried to answer the door. Counting backwards from five, Ranma reached one just as he heard Soun screaming and saw him run around the corner of the hall.

"What the hell is going on?!" Soun finally managed to shoutas he got into a fighting position next to Ranma, who had stood up and was starring at the panda and the boy, who entered the room a couple of seconds after Soun did.

The panda held up a sign that said, 'Is this where you disappeared too?' flip 'How did you know where to go?'

"Don't ask. I'll go get some hot water for you." Ranma said as he turned and headed for the kitchen. He was back a moment later with a steaming hot kettle and Kasumi in tow, who had been wondering about the screams. Ranma could also see Nabiki standing unnoticed on the stairs, and Akane at the sliding door that lead to the dojo, both starring at the panda who was calmly sitting at the table and the boy standing near the hallway. Both girls had gone unnoticed until now.

"Nabiki, Akane, why don't you come to the table. There is a lot that you need to know." Ranma said calmly as he headed over towards the panda and poured the water over its head.

"How did you know our names…" Nabiki trailed off as she saw the panda sitting at the table transform into a fat man with a glasses, a white gi and white handkerchief on his head.

The man sat there for a moment while he adjusted his glasses, then jumped up to wrap his arms around a shocked Soun. "Soun! It's so great to see you again."

"Genma? But, weren't you just a panda?" Soun asked shakily as he hesitantly hugged him back.

"Ah yes, I was. It's a curse we picked up in China." Genma said as he sat back.

"'We'?" Nabiki asked as she looked over towards Ranma and Genki. Both were tall with black hair, but only Ranma had the bright blue eyes. His brother had big, brown ones that just radiated warmth and serenity and he had a white streak above his right eyebrow that went back and was threaded through his braided pigtail for an interesting affect.

"Yes, we're cursed too, thanks to pop." Ranma said darkly. No one but Nabiki noticed when Genki cast his brother a nervous glance, and she wondered about that. So for, Ranma had seemed kind and courteous. So what would his young brother be nervous about?

"Oh my, what happened?" Kasumi asked in concern. She didn't know them, but she liked Ranma well enough. He seemed more mature than most boys his age.

"I just don't know how to begin. Well than, why don't we start with this." Genma said as he stood up and grabbed for Ranma, who was closer, but froze when his oldest son growled softly at him. So instead, Genma grabbed Genki and tossed him outside and into the koi pond. But what emerged from the Koi pond was not the cute boy that had gone in. What came out was a black horse with a white main and tail, and calm brown eyes. 

"Why did you do that old man?" Ranma snarled gaining surprised looks from the Tendo family as they switched their gazes from the horse in their back yard to the visibly pissed blue eyed boy at their table.

"Well, Ranma, we needed to demonstrate the curse." Genma said as he edged away.

"So why didn't you just take the glass of water that I brought from the kitchen and do it to yourself?!"

Genma cringed and leaned away from Ranma, but before he could say anything in his defense, Nabiki spoke up in a cool voice that cut through everything. "Why is your family scared of you Ranma?"

As everyone looked at her, shocked at her question, Ranma said quietly, "Because everyone is scared of me. I am, simply, the strongest person in the whole world, and I don't put up with any crap from anyone."

"What do you mean? No boy is stronger than I am!" Akane protested angrily.

"If you are so strong than I assume you can beat the entire Amazon village in China? Or defeat the best fighters in the world?" Ranma said coolly and she nodded firmly. Genma had changed Genki back already and now he sat back down on the other side of Ranma.

"I not afraid of what Ranma might do to me, it's what he might do to someone who crosses him. Because of the training pop put him through, plus the curse, he's had a pretty bad life. But he is stronger because of it. And trust me Miss. Tendo. You couldn't have defeated the entire Amazon village like he did. He somehow knew their secret techniques and he defeated the entire village within two minutes. Even their elder Cologne, who until then was the strongest fighter in China and Japan besides some one named Happosai." Genki said and immediately he had three hands slapped over him mouth. Looking at his father, Soun, and surprisingly Ranma, he asked why with his eyes.

"Don't ever mention his name out loud." Ranma said urgently. "If you do, then he will wake up and Japan can do without his perversion!" 

"How do you know about…the Master?" Soun asked shakily.

"Don't ask. You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Lets just say, I know what would happen around here if he ever got loose from the cave you two sealed him in."

"So what's the big deal with this Hap…urk!" Akane exclaimed as she found Ranma's hand slapped over her mouth.

"Didn't I just say not to say his name?! Unless you want that dirty old man to steal you bras and underwear? Funny, I didn't think you went for that." Ranma said and got Akane's temper sparking in rage.

"RANMA NO BAKA!" she screamed as she pulled away from his hand and pulled out a huge mallet. As she swung it at his head, he simply swiped at it with his fingers spread like claws, missing it by more than a foot, but suddenly the head of the mallet was sliced into six pieces and the handle into one inch pieces all the way to just an inch above her hands.

"Do not threaten me with a mallet. I do not take kindly to people trying to pound me flat and I will not just stand there and let you do that to me. Oh yeah, and don't try to do it to my brother either. I don't allow anyone to hurt him, even if he can take care of himself. Understand?" Ranma snarled and she nodded as she backed away nervously.

Seeing that things were starting to get out of hand, Soun cleared is throat and said, "Would you perhaps like to tell us about your curses and how you did that?"

Nodding, Ranma seated himself between his brother and father and began he tale. "My curse is connected to what I just did, so to understand my curse I have to tell you what the old man did to me."

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Flashback

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"But pop, you didn't even finish reading the next page." A young Ranma exclaimed as Genma started to unpack some fish and rope.

"Don't worry about it. This training will make you an unbeatable fighter! What more could you want, and you and your brother are just the right age to learn it. I would try it myself, but I'm to old." Genma said as he looked up to where this oldest son was standing in front of him with the book telling how to learn the neko-ken.

Waving off the boy's protests, he started trying to strap the fish sausages to him, but Ranma slipped out of his reach. Ranma had been happy to learn that he didn't have his curse or his fear of cats now that he was in this world, but it looked like this Genma was as stupid and stubborn as the one from his original world.

"Fine, if you don't want to learn this great technique, then I'm sure your brother would love to learn it. Right Genki?" Genma said ashe turned to the other boy, who was sitting nearby. 

"Fine! I'll do it! Just don't do this to him. I already know what's gonna happen to me." Ranma snapped and Genma looked t him puzzlement before shrugging and started strapping the food to him. 

He tossed Ranma into the pit and waited for a while until things had quieted down before retrieving Ranma, bleeding and unconscious, from the pit.Over the course for the next week, Genma continually strapped different foods to Ranma and tossed him into the pit. Finally, just when he was giving up hope that he would learn it, he heard a loud yowling coming from the pit and the next thing he knew, Ranma came flying up from the pit and attacked him, but this was not the unusually smart and gifted boy he had known. Now, he was acting like a cat. A crazy one to be sure, but a cat nonetheless.

After mauling Genma, he went over to the terrified Genki and curled up in his lap, purring. "Ranma?" Genki asked softly, as he put a hand on his brother's head. Ranma didn't say anything, but purred louder and cuddled closer to him. Realizing that he probably wouldn't be going anywhere for a while Genki sighed and let his brother go to sleep on him.

Two hours later, Ranma jumped off of Genki and started pacing as his brother and father watched him warily. "I knew it. I knew it! I knew this would happen. It's all going to happen again." He muttered to himself as his father cautiously approached him.

"Ranma? Are you alright now?" he asked hesitantly and Ranma turned angry eyes on him.

"NO! I'M NOT ALRIGHT!" Ranma screamed and Genma scrambled backwards. "Because of you trying to teach me the neko-ken, I'll never be able to go near a cat again. And if I do see a cat, I'll tell you what will happen. What will happen is that I'll go insane again and act like a cat again until I snap out of it. And while in cat, I'm a great danger to everything and everyone I consider a danger themselves. I can rip apart steal like a hot knife through butter, but I only gain these skills when I'm out of it. I can't control it and I never remember it when I wake up! You've ruined my life! Again!"

"Again?" Genma repeated confusedly.

"Don't ask. You would believe me anyway."

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End Flashback

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"You did that to your own son?!" Nabiki yelled as she sat back in shock.

"Yes." Ranma supplied for him.

"But if you can only control it when you are out of control, how did you do that to Akane's mallet?" Kasumi asked calmly.

"Because of something else he did." Ranma said darkly.

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Flashback

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"Here we are at Cursed Springs, Jusenkyo." The guide said as he whipped out a book with the word in Japanese."

"This doesn't look to tough." Genki said and he and Genma jumped up on the bamboo poles that were sticking out of the many springs.

"Oh no sirs! What are you doing? I have not finish tragic story!" the guide called out as he ran to the edge of the springs.

I know all about these springs and this place, but they just won't listen. I'll try and get them down. Ranma said in Chinese as he dropped his pack and jumped up near were the other two were fighting. He had learned Chinese over the years so he would be prepared for when they got to china, like he knew they would.

"Guys, you have to stop! If you fall into one of the springs, you'll be cursed to turn into whatever drowned there last!" he called and Genki looked over at him in concern. "You mean that we could turn into what died there last time?" he called, but was suddenly kicked into a distant spring because he hadn't been paying attention and Genma had taken advantage of that. 

As he watched Genki hit the spring, he found himself being kicked into another as Ranma kicked him out of his way as he tried to get to Genki in time before he hit the water. Because he was so fast, he could have saved Genki from his dip if two things hadn't happened. The first being if Genma hadn't jumped from the spring of drowned panda and knocked him into another spring, and if Genma hadn't accidentally sliced the pole Genki had caught himself on with his new claws and sent him into the spring below him.

Things quieted down as both boys disappeared into the springs and Genma stared at his new body. A horse's head appeared in the spring Genki had disappeared into and Genma stared at him in shock. After a moment, they both turned towards the spring Ranma had disappeared into.

Things were silent and they could hear the guide telling them what springs they had fallen into, but Ranma's spring had calmed, no ripples marring the smooth, glassy surface. Just as they were going to turn away, the spring suddenly seemed to explode as a huge black and white shape shot from it to land on the ground away from they springs.

Luckily, once you're cursed, you can't gain another curse, so the water from the spring had no effect on the two Saotome standing on the ground in between the springs. The guide had to duck into his hut to avoid being drenched, however.

Cautiously, they opened their eyes and what they saw almost made them faint. A giant, black and white Siberian tiger stood on the banks of the springs, glaring at the panda. It was at least twice the size of a normal Siberian tiger and it looked a lot meaner, too. As they stared at it, it let out an earth trembling roar as it lunged at Genma. It stopped, however, when Genki's new form stepped in front of him.

The tiger turned away a moment later and headed for the guide's hut in search of hot water with the panda and the horse following. The guide knew what Ranma wanted and quickly brought out a steaming kettle and dumped some on the tiger, who immediately changed back into a boy.

"Now do you see why I told you we shouldn't come here?!" Ranma demanded irritably as his father and brother were changed back as well.

"Yes. I believe we do." Genki said as he adjusted his clothes.

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End Flashback

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"So let me get this straight. First your father trained you in the neko-ken, which made you go crazy. Then, he got you cursed to turn into a tiger which somehow by passed your fear of cats and now lets you control the neko-ken without going cat." Nabiki said and Ranma nodded.

"Yes, but it's not 'somehow'. I already know how it lets me use the neko-ken." Ranma said calmly and started to explain as he saw the question on her face.

"You see, the neko-ken is cat based and to utilize it, you need the cat like traits. But when I fell into the spring of drown tiger, it gave me cat traits so I'm able to use the cat fist without going crazy. And I can't really be scared of myself, now can I?" he asked her with a small smile on his face, and she nodded reluctantly

Things were silent for a moment, before Genma said happily, "So which one do you want to marry?"

"What?!" all the Tendo girls yelled in surprise, even Kasumi, surprising everyone who knew her.

"Soun, don't tell me you haven't told them!" Genma exclaimed as he turned to his friend.

"I haven't had a chance to tell them yet. I didn't even know that you were coming when Ranma arrived."

"But, I sent you a postcard!"

"I haven't finished going through the mail yet." Soun said irritably. Grabbing the rest of his unopened mail, he shuffled through it until he came o a postcard with a panda on the front. "Well here it is, but couldn't you have sent it earlier?"

Waving that aside, Genma turned back to Ranma who was calmly banging his head on the table. "So, have you decided yet?"

"What is going on?!" Akane screamed suddenly and everyone turned to look at her. She was bright red and looked like she would have already whipped out her mallet if it weren't already laying on the floor in pieces.

"Our fathers decided before I was born that they would unit the two schools of anything goes by having me marry one of you girls." Ranma said, but before he could get any further, he was interrupted as she screamed again.

"I hate boys! I won't marry you!"

"I said any of you three. Not just you." Ranma said coldly, then turned back to the other two and continued. "I came here before pop because I knew that he would get Mr. Tendo to force the issue. I got him to agree, however, that I would take each of you on a date and it anything happens, fine. If not, I won't be marrying any of you."

"But, why would you do that?" Kasumi asked, confused and a little relieved that she might not have to marry him by force.

"Well, any of you could have a boyfriend and we don't really know each other. I won't force someone to marry me and both me and Mr. Tendo want you to be happy." He said simply and Soun nodded in agreement.

"But what about our vow to unite our families?!" Genma shouted as he saw his chance at a peaceful retirement of living off the dojo flying out the window. When Ranma turned to glare at him, he went pasty white and started to sweat nervously. "ButIhaveanotherson.Hecouldalwaysfufillthevow.It'snotlikeyouaretheonly…"Genma babbled but stopped when Ranma growled at him.

"You will NOT force him to marry someone for any other thing besides love. Do you understand me? Why do you think that when we were younger and you sold us to those families for food, I insisted that I was the one engaged to their daughters instead of him?" he demanded and Genma looked at him in shock.

"You remembered the other…um, what are you talking about?!" his lame attempt at deniability had everyone starring at him.

"What? I don't remember being sold for food." Genki said as he looked at his brother and father in confusion.

"You were too young for most of them, but at the moment, I have ten fiancées beside the promise to the Tendo family." Ranma said, never taking his eyes off Genma who was currently trying to creep backwards, away from everyone as they had turned their full attention on Ranma. When he was close to the door leading outside, he jumped up and made a mad dash for the freedom of the yard and then the street beyond it over the fence. But he didn't even get to the edge of the veranda before Ranma sprang like a cat and pounced on him, knocking him out as they crashed to the ground. Hard.

Leaving him like that for a moment, Ranma went back inside to him pack and pulled out a length of rope, which he then wrapped around Genma's hands and feet, hog tying him so that he wouldn't be able to move when he woke up.

As he entered the house and sat down again at the table, the Tendo family stared at him in shock. "That was another reason why I won't force one of your daughters to marry me, Mr. Tendo. Because of all the other engagements, your promise has been invalidated, just like all the others because my father in an honor less pig. But I'm willing to give I a try because you have been so understanding about all of this." He said, continuing the conversation from before, as if nothing had happened.

"You have ten other fiancées? Pervert! Womanizer! Creep!" Akane yelled as she stood up and charged at him over the table in a tackle. Ranma easily avoided without even getting up and as she was flying by, he hit a couple pressure points had had learned during his travels to lock up her joints for a while. Then, adding insult to her, he caught her easily and put her gently on the ground before turning back to the others.

"I know that part of the deal was for me to run the dojo, and so I decided that even if I didn't marry any of your daughters, then I would teach some classes for you as a way of apology for the slight on your honor because of pop." Ranma said and bowed to the Tendo monarch.

"And how much would you expect to get paid?" Nabiki said coolly, her brain starting to work again.

"It is an honor debt, Nabiki. You don't get paid for fulfilling a debt." He said with a frown at the middle daughter. Genma woke up at this time and started yelling to be released and offering bribes and threats. Finally, Ranma stood up again and went to his pack again and pulled out a long piece of cloth. Going to his father, he wrapped the cloth around his face, effectively gauging Genma.

Leaning down next to the thrashing Genma, he whispered, "I'm going to go call mom now. I'm sure she'll love what you've done to us." Genma froze for a moment as the words hit home in his tiny brain, then started thrashing harder than before. Laughing quietly, Ranma went back inside to ask if they knew his mother's phone number.

After hearing Ranma's request, Kasumi went to get the phone book while Soun asked, "Why are you going to call her? I thought you were going to stay here for a while until you cold convince Genma to go back."

"That was the original plan, but after seeing how he acted here and how your youngest daughter acted towards me for the things I had no control over, like the fiancées, I have decided it would be fore the best if we just went home instead of freeloading off of you." Ranma said and Genki nodded to show that he was in agreement. 

Kasumi was back a moment later with the number and she directed him towards the phone. After a few rings, the phone was answered by a woman's voice, that Ranma remembered well.

_'Hello?'_

"Um, hi. Is this Nodoka Saotome?" Ranma asked, though he already knew the answer.

_'Yes. And who might I ask is this?'_ she asked warmly.

"It's Ranma…" was all he got out before she gasped and started crying.

_'Ranma? As in my little boy?'_ she cried eagerly.

"Yes. It's me."

_'Where are you? Are you all right? Is something wrong and if so what happened?!'_ she said franticly.

"Mom, nothing is wrong. Currently, we are in Nerima at the Tendo dojo and Genki and me are all right. But before we come home, there is some thing I need to ask." He said firmly, before he could loose him nerve.

She took a moment to stop her tears and clear her throat before she asked what it was.

"When you had the three of us sign that seppuku agreement, did you intend to enforce it?" Genki and the entire Tendo family with the exception of Soun, who already knew, spun around in shock to stare at him, even Akane, who had gotten back some control.

_'You remember that?'_ she asked quietly.

"Yes, I do."

_'Well, no. It was actually just a way for me to keep control of Genma, so he wouldn't do something stupid.'_ She said, confused.

"Well, it didn't stop him from doing stupid things the entire time. I'll explain more when we see you." Ranma said darkly and she reluctantly agreed.

_ _

_'I'll be there just as soon as I can get out the door. It will take about an hour to get there. I'll see you then and I've missed you three guys.'_ She said tearfully.

"We've missed you too, mom." Ranma said with a gentle smile, the kind reserved almost exclusively for his younger brother. After exchanging fair wells, they hung up and Ranma turned back to the others. "She'll be here in an hour."

"Ranma, what did you mean about seppuku?" Genki asked quietly and the girls nodded.

"Before mom would let pop take us on the journey, she had him and us sign a contract saying all three of us would commit seppuku if he didn't turn us into men above men. She thought it would keep him from doing anything stupid." Ranma explained and Genki paled as he asked, "Is she going to go through with it?"

"No, but after she hears what he did to us, she might make him do it." Ranma said with a bit of humor.

"Do you really think that it's a good idea with the others behind us? I mean that one guy just seems to find you, despite his bad direction." Genki asked as his brother sat next to him and Kasumi went to prepare tea and to work on dinner.

"We would have a better chance of defending her if we're there. They'll find out about her anyway and that will put her in even more danger because she wouldn't know or understand what was going on." Ranma said calmly and Genki reluctantly nodded.

The hour passed quietly with Ranma and Genki talking about their travels and such things while drinking tea with Soun and his two oldest daughters. Akane had refused to be in the same room with the two boys. Instead she went back to the dojo and broke stacks and stacks of bricks and wood blocks.

"So, how many enemies do you have?" Nabiki asked bluntly and Genki blinked at her in surprise.

"Well…" he started, but Ranma cut him off.

"That isn't your business, Nabiki." He said and the doorbell rang. After Soun had left to answer it, he added, "Don't try to make money off of us. It will only backfire if you try to see information off us and our enemies and your home will most likely be destroyed when they come after you." 

Nabiki and Kasumi were still staring at them in shock and surprise when Soun entered the room with an attractive woman in a kimono and carrying a silk wrapped bundle in her arms. "Everyone, I would like to introduce Nodoka Saotome." He said as soon as he had everyone's attention.

"Mom!" Genki shouted as he jumped to his feet and hurried to her and threw his arms around her.

"My baby is back." She said softly as she hugged him back and tears started to fall down her cheeks. She had dropped her bundle when Genki had jumped into her arms, but Ranma had caught it before it hit the floor, knowing how much it meant to his mother.

After a few minutes, she raised her head and looked around. Soun and Kasumi were crying at the happy reunion, while Nabiki just watched with a cool expression on her face. Then her gaze settled on Ranma, who was standing a few feet away. "Ranma…" she whispered, her voice slightly husky from her tears. At his slight nod, she grabbed him in one arm while keeping a firm grip on Genki with her other and hugged them both.

Smiling slightly, Ranma hugged her back, wrapping his arms around both his mother and his brother. "I've missed you, mom." He whispered as she started soaking his shirt with her tears. During both curses, he had learned to gauge just how much water it would take to change him and he was now rapidly approaching that amount. As soon as he reached the critical area of wetness, he released his family and backed away, quickly, leaving a bewildered Nodoka staring at him in confusion.

Genki had never figured out how to gage it like his brother, so he didn't know how close he was to changing. But suddenly, he was no longer human as he was doused with a bucket of cold water.

Akane's anger had steadily grown as she had broke brick after brick. Finally, she couldn't stand it any more and grabbed a convenient bucket and killed it with water from the koi pond, as it was the closest place of water in her angry gaze. Storming past a still bound Genma, who was still trying to get out of the knots, she flung open the sliding door and threw the bucket at Ranma, who had his back turned. She hadn't realized that there was a guest there because her very was solely focused on Ranma. But when he jumped over the water, she caught sight of Genki being held be a woman in a kimono directly in the path of the incoming water. It repercussions didn't occur to her until after the water had hit them and the woman was suddenly holding a huge horse.

"Wha…wha…what…?" she stammered before fainting dead away as the horse looked at her in concern.


End file.
